Chapter 1011: The Demons Reappear; The Withering-Flourishing Fire Sprite

As they flew above the expanse of flowing lava, Devil's Cloud asked in a low voice, "Do you think he can succeed?"

The Flesh Ganoderma continued forward through the scorching air, its eyes lingering on the fiery cloud sea that stretched across the horizon. A complicated look crossed its face. Instead of answering, it turned the question back on him. "Do you want him to?"

"I..." Devil's Cloud hesitated. Ever since entering the Land of Fallen Devils, much of his former composure had disappeared. At this moment, he seemed even more uncertain. After a while, he finally replied, "I don't know... But then again... Azure Yang can be overbearing at times, but he has his own principles. As long as our interests don't clash, he doesn't make things difficult for me. So... I guess I do hope he does."

In Devil's Cloud's view, if Luo Chen successfully subdued that Sky-Burning Fire, his strength would rise dramatically. With such a figure traveling alongside them, the dangers awaiting them would become far more manageable.

The Flesh Ganoderma merely let out a faint sneer and said nothing.

Devil's Cloud glanced at it curiously. "What about you?"

"Whether he succeeds or fails has little to do with me," the Flesh Ganoderma replied indifferently. "But if I had to choose, I'd rather see him fail."

Devil's Cloud frowned. "Why? Are you afraid he might threaten your true body?"

"A mere Adept? No matter how strong he gets, he could never threaten my true body." It shot Devil's Cloud a meaningful look before changing the subject. "I'm just worried he'll botch the whole thing and end up causing trouble for us later. We still need to get to my body and break the restrictions."

So that was the reason. Devil's Cloud nodded to himself. Looking back, Ding Yi's decision to recruit him and Luo Chen had likely not been entirely his own. The Flesh Ganoderma had been guiding events from the shadows all along. Although their strength and various talents may have made them attractive allies, what truly caught its attention was their expertise in formations.[1]

High-tier formation masters with no other engagements were exceedingly rare. Even in the Northern Sea cultivation world, famed for its abundance of rogue cultivators, talented formation masters were usually recruited by major sects and great families. Although he and Luo Chen were publicly known as artisan masters and not much else, both had considerable attainments in formations. To break the restrictions and free its true body, the ganoderma needed the two of them. As for whether Luo Chen's strength rose or fell during the process, that was ultimately of little concern to it.

But just as Devil's Cloud was puzzling over the matter, a warning sounded in his ear.

"Careful. There are people on Vermilion Bird Mountain!"

Devil's Cloud stiffened and looked ahead. Upon the mountain that resembled a giant Vermilion Bird poised for flight, a lone figure sat cross-legged atop the main peak. The man sat silently with a saber planted beside him, forming a hand seal.

"Saberstorm?!" He recognized the man at a glance, and disbelief filled his eyes. "I thought he died at the hands of the Demon Emperor!"

The Flesh Ganoderma ignored him and spread its divine consciousness outward. "He's not alone. There are two others at the peaks beside him. Wait... They're not humans! Those two are late-stage Demon Kings!"

As it described their positions, Devil's Cloud's expression darkened. "It's one thing that Saberstorm's still alive, but how did he end up with two Demon Kings? What are they up to?"

The Flesh Ganoderma stared intently at Vermilion Bird Mountain. Saberstorm sat atop the central peak, while a giant squid and a golden toad occupied the two wing-like side peaks. None of the three made any attempt to conceal themselves. More accurately, they seemed too occupied with something else to bother.

After observing for a while, Devil's Cloud arrived at a conclusion."They look like they're activating a formation together!"

The Flesh Ganoderma nodded. Although Vermilion Bird Mountain appeared unchanged from the outside, a distinctly foreign aura was flowing within it.

Devil's Cloud asked cautiously, "What should we do?"

"We wait," the Flesh Ganoderma replied quietly. "We wait for Azure Yang to finish what he's doing. Then we'll decide our next move."

Devil's Cloud agreed to its plan. To him, it was the only sensible course of action. None of the three figures on Vermilion Bird Mountain were opponents he could afford to face lightly. Saberstorm alone was enough to make him wary. As the fourth eight-star demon hunter of the Society, his combat prowess was formidable, and even when Ding Yi was still alive, he had been careful with the man and relied only on mutual benefits during their dealings.

As for the other two demonic beasts, the giant squid was the legendary Great King Squid. Devil's Cloud could not identify the golden toad, but any creature qualified to stand alongside Saberstorm and a Great King Squid was certainly no ordinary being. With Azure Yang absent, he and the Flesh Ganoderma, which could not fully utilize Ding Yi's physical strength, were absolutely no match for the trio. Therefore, the only option was to wait.

***

Atop Vermilion Bird Mountain, Saberstorm sat cross-legged as mana streamed from his body into the mountain beneath him like an unending river. The prolonged expenditure had left his aura frail and unstable. His face was pale to the point of bloodlessness, yet he could not stop what he was doing.

Who would've thought I'd fall this far? I was once regarded as the Saber King by many, and now I am reduced to someone else's puppet. Worse, I'm even damaging my own foundation just to power formations for them.

Although Saberstorm was the name by which most cultivators knew him, he also carried another Dao title, Demon Slaughter Saber King. The title had been bestowed upon him by the rogue cultivators of the Society after all his years spent guarding the Flowing Defensive Line and slaughtering great numbers of demonic beasts. He rarely used that title, but in light of his current circumstances, it felt especially ironic.

While continuing to channel mana, he occasionally looked across the fiery landscape around him. The volcanoes have been going off more frequently lately, and the whole place keeps shaking. That can only mean that someone powerful has entered this place. I just hope they stay away from this mountain. If they don't, they're as good as dead.

Saberstorm shook his head and looked toward the crimson cloud bank several hundred li away. Winds that seemed to carry killing intent stirred the clouds. He knew that a fourth-tier fire sprite dwelled there, born from a Sourceless Flame that had long claimed that area as its territory. The creature was extraordinarily powerful, and with the overwhelming home-ground advantage it enjoyed there, even the three of them had no desire to provoke it.

Thus, anyone capable of confronting such a creature would undoubtedly be a terrifying figure in their own right. And a person of that caliber would be unlikely to ignore a treasure land such as Vermilion Bird Mountain. If they came here, a great battle would be inevitable.

If he can kill Liu Jun, I might finally be free of this damn enslavement. But if he comes here, he'll have to get past the three of us first. And if he's too strong, I could end up dead before any of that happens.

The contradictory thoughts churned within him, leaving his eyes filled with exhaustion and bitterness.

At that moment, a sharp shout rang out from one of the neighboring peaks. "Saberstorm! Keep the mana flowing! If the grand formation is disrupted, the Merman Emperor will hold you responsible!"

The voice belonged to the Great King Squid. A flash of fury passed through Saberstorm's eyes. If not for the beast's advantage within the Sunken Sea and the Demon Emperor cutting off his retreat, how could he ever have fallen into such a predicament? Yet now this beast dared bark orders at him as though it were his master. Yet despite the resentment simmering within him, he could only clench his teeth and continue pouring mana into the formation.

Deep within Vermilion Bird Mountain, streams of dark blue light converged and flowed toward a single figure. The recipient of that power was none other than Merman Emperor Liu Jun, the Demon Emperor who had escaped from the Heaven of Northern Yama. As more and more blue light gathered around him, his aura grew increasingly profound and inscrutable, while the brilliance in his eyes intensified with every passing moment.

Suddenly, he came to a stop within the crater of an ever-burning volcano. "Finally! I've searched the entire Heaven of the Five Elements for more than a year, and now I've finally found you."

Beneath the crater lay a lake of molten magma. At its center bloomed a lotus with five petals spread gracefully from its core, each a different color. As they swayed gently, the lotus continuously shifted between hues. One moment, it shone with golden radiance; the next, it gleamed green. When the surrounding firelight washed across its surface, it transformed into a dazzling crimson bloom.

Liu Jun stared at the lotus, unable to conceal the ecstasy in his eyes; the lotus was even more extraordinary than he had imagined. The five elements existed within it in perfect balance, each generating and reinforcing the others in a continuous cycle. This harmony gave rise to an exceptionally pure and stable foundation, while centuries of nurturing within the heart of the magma had endowed the lotus with such astonishing potential that it was probably not far from the rumors that said it could pave the way to immortality.

"Looks like this trip was worth it after all!"

Perhaps because he had suppressed his emotions for too long, the usually composed and exceptionally handsome Liu Jun threw back his head and laughed without restraint, caring nothing for appearances. But the moment his laughter rang out, the magma lake began to boil violently, and the five-colored lotus slowly started sinking.

"Ahh, so you've already developed sentience? Well, that's too bad. There's no way I'm letting you get away."

Liu Jun's expression changed as blue light surged from his hands into the magma lake. At the same time, he expanded his Domain and isolated the surrounding fire-attribute spirit energy, seeking to separate the lotus from its environment.

***

BOOOOMMM!!!!!

Within the banks of crimson clouds stretching thousands of li, two enormous figures clashed repeatedly, each collision releasing shockwaves that tore through the cloudscape. At first glance, the combatants looked identical. Both had taken the form of crimson rocs, so alike in shape and color that it was difficult to tell them apart.

This thing's smarter than I expected. It can manipulate the clouds to shape a body and even use it to withstand my attacks.

Luo Chen, who had assumed his Sky Roc True Form, was more pleased than alarmed. The Sky-Burning Fire had indeed developed sentience, and its strength was certainly not inferior to that of the Nine-Sun Golden Eagle. Coupled with the advantage of its home territory, it was even more formidable. Unfortunately for it, the same environment that empowered it also favored Luo Chen.

Within these fiery clouds, the power of Luo Chen's Infinite Blaze Prison had reached its peak. It was no longer limited to a mere hundred zhang but could extend for a thousand, even five thousand zhang. No matter where the Sky-Burning Fire Sprite fled, Luo Chen could follow like a shadow. After repeatedly failing to shake him off, the fire sprite finally abandoned any hope of escape and turned to fight head-on. Yet from the very start, Luo Chen had maintained the second form of the Infinite Blaze Prison. Cloaked in the Withering-Flourishing True Fire, he was naturally resistant to the Sky-Burning Fire's flames. After several hundred exchanges, the fire sprite gradually began to lose ground.

When it suddenly spread its wings, Luo Chen immediately understood its intentions. "Trying to run again? Too late!"

The Infinite Blaze Prison expanded once more, swallowing several thousand zhang of space. At the same time, the sound of rattling chains echoed through the air. One chain after another shot from Luo Chen's body and streaked toward the fleeing fire sprite. Before it could react, the chains had already wrapped tightly around it, and panic flashed across its expression. Its body began changing frantically. The crimson roc dissolved into a horse, then a human figure, then flood dragons and giant serpents, each transformation displaying the ever-changing nature of clouds.

Yet none of it made any difference. Under the restraining power of the Primordial Unity Cauldron, no matter how it changed forms, escape remained impossible. The Infinite Blaze Prison steadily contracted while the nine chains tightened further. In the end, the sprite could no longer maintain its transformation and was forced back into its original form—a flame resembling a crimson cloud that struggled desperately within its restraints.

Luo Chen watched with satisfaction. The Primordial Unity Cauldron had become even more powerful than before. Against an incorporeal entity like this one, its effects were particularly effective. He had not even summoned the cauldron itself, yet it had already restrained the fire sprite with ease. In that case...

Luo Chen opened his mouth and exhaled. A strand of azure flame drifted out and transformed into the phantom of a one-zhang-tall tree. Suspended in midair, the tree extended its roots directly into the crimson cloud flame.

Refining a fourth-tier flame will probably take a while.

Then he calmly sat in midair and began activating his cultivation technique. Yet when he once again used his primordial true fire to devour it, he suddenly discovered that the refining process was progressing far faster than before.

Hm? Why is it so easy? This feels even easier than refining third-tier Sourceless Flames.

Luo Chen was genuinely surprised. As he continued refining the flame, he searched for the reason behind the change. Is my Withering-Flourishing True Fire getting stronger? Or have I simply become better at this? Or could it be my cauldron?

Perhaps each of them played a part, but as he investigated further, he eventually found the true reason. On the status panel, one particular entry was shining brilliantly: Heavenly Phoenix Nirvana Scripture: Grandmaster (501/1000).

At some point, without him even noticing, he had not only broken through to the Grandmaster level but had also already advanced more than halfway through it! The discovery nearly caused Luo Chen to lose control of the refining process. Fortunately, he acted quickly enough to steady his mind before anything went wrong. Even so, the excitement surging through him was difficult to suppress.

The Heavenly Phoenix Nirvana Scripture was undoubtedly the most profound cultivation technique he had ever learned. More than forty years had passed since he obtained it; had it been any cultivation technique or spell he had studied in the past, it would have long since reached Perfected Mastery. Yet his progress with this technique had been so slow that it was almost infuriating.

Despite using it day and night and advancing to the sixth stage of Golden Core, with only a little more to the seventh stage, he had remained stuck at the Perfection level. Although only a few dozen proficiency points separated it from the Grandmaster level, he still crawled forward at a snail's pace. And if reaching the Grandmaster level was this difficult, he could scarcely imagine how many years it would take to attain Perfected Mastery in the future.

Yet after entering Blazing Purgatory and repeatedly using it to devour Sourceless Flames with his primordial true fire, his proficiency began soaring. In just a few short months, he had finally broken through the Perfection level bottleneck. The moment he reached Grandmaster, his efficiency in devouring Sourceless Flames increased by more than ten times.

I knew it! This technique is what's letting me devour Sourceless Flames. It seems the ability only shows at a high level of mastery. Grandmaster must be the threshold.

The Grandmaster level displayed on the status panel corresponded to what ordinary cultivators called major mastery. Luo Chen had simply discovered this hidden function ahead of schedule and repeatedly tested it in practice, forcing it into use before it naturally awakened. In the process, he had also found the fastest possible way of increasing his proficiency with his cultivation technique.

"Looks like I ended up with two benefits at once."

Luo Chen smiled freely and increased the flow of mana and accelerated his devouring process even further.

Several days later, Luo Chen descended from the boundless stretch of crimson clouds. His aura had become increasingly domineering and intense, and whenever he flew, he felt as though a fish had returned to water. It was almost as if Blazing Purgatory itself had become his home.

Just as he stopped atop another low mountain and revealed a look of delight, a stern voice sounded in his ear. "Luo Chen, enough. Too much of a good thing is still too much."

Luo Chen frowned in displeasure. "What now?"

"You can't keep going like this." Han Zhan's voice rang out once more.

Luo Chen snorted lightly. "Why not? I can feel it. If I keep this up, my primordial true fire is going to transform. It might even jump straight from the fourth tier to the fifth."

As he spoke, the small tree within his sea of qi swayed gently, azure flames dancing among its branches as though responding to his words. Han Zhan remained silent for a long moment.

He only spoke up again when he saw Luo Chen set off toward yet another mountain that likely hid a Sourceless Flame. "And when that happens, what should I call you? Luo Chen... or the Withering-Flourishing Fire Sprite?"

Whosshh!

Azure flames spread across Luo Chen's entire body, setting the surrounding space ablaze. He froze in midair as if he had been struck by lightning, and his expression turned incomparably ugly.

1. The raws say that the Flesh Ganoderma was the sole decision maker in choosing Devil's Cloud and Luo Chen as part of this venture. However, earlier in the story, it was established that Ding Yi was the one who recruited them, and we know that he was not being fully controlled at the time. This was edited to reflect the ganoderma's influence behind the scenes rather than making it the direct decision maker. ☜

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